In my last blog I mentioned Eurytos, who reneged on his promise to award his daughter in marriage to the winner of an archery contest.

We meet Eurytos again, briefly, in Homer's famous poem, the Odyssey, where Odysseus says:

"great Eurytos died suddenly nor came to an age
in his own mansions, since Apollo in anger against
him killed him, because he had challenged Apollo
in archery."

Clearly Eurytos was not a man to learn from his experiences.

Odysseus was himself regarded as a great archer, at least, in the Odyssey. His most famous exhibition of skill was sending an arrow through twelve axes. In Homer's other poem, the Illiad (about the Battle of Troy), Odysseus' archery is never mentioned.

This may be because we learn in the Odyssey that Odysseus had left his great bow at home, only retrieving it when after many years, he returns to his homeland, Ithaka, his wife Penelope, and his son. By this time his wife Penelope is besieged by suitors wanting to get their hands on her husband's money.

Penelope holds an archery contest, saying that whoever manages to string her husband's bow will win her hand in marriage. Odysseus strings the bow and kills the suitors before being reunited with his wife, son and faithful dog. (Interestingly, it was the dog who recognised him first!)